The shift reflects a larger cultural moment, with chefs asking whether the cuisine should remain tied to colonial nostalgia or evolve into a reflection of modern Indonesian identity. In the Dutch town of Oegstgeest just outside Leiden, soft lighting glows against warm wood and avocado green walls … [Read more...]
Writings
A Poem in Its Becoming…
GOENAWAN MOHAMAD’S OPENING SPEECH AT THE WORLD POETRY FESTIVAL – KUALA LUMPUR, 17 AUGUST 2004 I would like to thank you for having me here, in this extraordinary gathering of poets, and for giving me the honour to begin our conversation. However, I must confess my nervousness; I know that each … [Read more...]
After ’98: Censorship, compromises and resistance
October 2015 was a busy and controversial month for Indonesian literature dealing with the history of the 1965–66 mass killings in Indonesia. First, there was the Frankfurt Book Fair where Indonesia was the focus country then, two weeks after that, the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF) was … [Read more...]
Apart Hate: How Trevor Noah Made Me See Indonesia
Editor’s Introduction Kanti W. Janis is an Indonesian constitutional lawyer, acclaimed author, and political leader whose work bridges constitutional litigation, democratic governance, and anti-extractivist community defense. Emerging from a prominent anticolonial family of independence freedom … [Read more...]
Becoming Ungovernable: Latah, Amok, And Disorder In Indonesia
If there is one Indonesian word you know, it’s probably amok. As in children dressing in Halloween costumes and running amuck, amuck, amuck (that’s a quote from the 1993 movie Hocus Pocus). The original connotation isn’t cute, though. It’s not playful. It’s an episode of frenzied violence, a sudden … [Read more...]
